Thrush street

I took a short walk in my borough. Just 300m from my flat I spotted small flock of c35 Waxwings. I turned into the Strážnická street. Mistle Thrush was calling from the treetop. Then I stopped at the crossing with Moskovská street. I just took short look at small tree with several Blackbirds. In a minute there was Redwing and later one more. Two Fieldfares appeared and surprisingly one Song Thrush too. It is almost unbelievable that you can spot 5 from 6 Slovak Turdus sp.Thrushes in one street in the center of Bratislava. Ring Ouzel will come in the end of March and certainly couldn't be spotted here as it breeds in mountainous regions outside big towns. In addition I found male Black Redstart on the roof of nearby embassy, Kestrel and 2 Sparrowhawks flew over my head. 

Later in the afternoon I observed Peregrine Falcon as it flew over Main square (Hlavné námestie) and c15000 Rooks mixed with Jackdaws that were gathering over Danube before flight to their night roost site.

What an amazing day! Let's check the photos from "Thrush street":

Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)

location of Thrush tree

Redwing  up, Redwing down

Redwing (Turdus iliacus)

Redwing and Waxwing I

Redwing and Waxwing II

Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos)

Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)

Short walk in Medická záhrada public garden

fraction of c400 Waxwings

one Fieldfare joined the Waxwing flock

House Sparrows in the snow

Chaffinch was hungry too

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From port to park

I made another walk in urban areas of Bratislava. Started home, walked through old Ružinov where I found 130 Waxwings roosting in the tree. Then I checked the basins of port on Danube. I spotted just one Coot, male Pochard, male Mallard and Great Cormorant flew along. I crossed the river and walked on the embankment upstream to the Sad Janka Kráľa public park. There was European Hare pair running across thin strip of floodplain forest that lies between the Danube and embankment. At first I just heard some knocking on the wood, then I found fresh holes in the tree and male Black Woodpecker appeared in the moment. Great Spotted Woodpecker sat on the top of dry tree. The park showed its usual  inhabitants and seasonal guests: Great Tit, Nuthatch, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Wood Pigeon and few others. Squirrel was hiding just two meters from the park sidewalk.

Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)

Danube river port

Common Pochard (Aythya ferina)

Feral Pigeon (Columba livia f. domestica)

Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius)

Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)

Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)

Blackbird (Turdus merula)

Great Tit (Parus major)

Nuthatch (Sitta europea)

Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)

Squirrel

List of observed bird species:
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
Pochard (Aythya ferina)
Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo)
Coot (Fulica atra)
Black-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
Common Gull (Larus canus)
Feral Pigeon (Columba livia f. domestica)
Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)
Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major)
Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius)
Green Woodpecker (Picus viridis)
Magpie (Pica pica)
Jackdaw (Coloeus monedula)
Rook (Corvus frugilegus)
Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)
Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)
Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus)
Marsh Tit (Poecile palustris)
Great Tit (Parus major)
Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)
Blackbird (Turdus merula)
Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)
Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus)
Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)
Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)
Hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes)

Search for Waxwings - Redwing found

Waxwings occupy streets of Bratislava 8 weeks in row. My friend asked me to try to check wider centre of Bratislava to estimate number of wintering Waxwings. I decided to search in old town, Sad Janka Kráľa public park, castle hill,garden and squares behind presidential palace. My total number was 362 Waxwings. According to my friend's count and one other birder's we estimate their number around 4500 individuals in Bratislava area. We were shocked when we reached 1000 in December. Again two weeks ago when we counted 2000+ birds and today's count is simply breath-taking. I can't believe that I have seen my first ever Waxwings only two month ago and now I'm part of the team that tries to monitor them during the whole time of their stay in the city.

(In following days were photos from this count revised and one other birder's observation was added. Total number stands on 5112 Waxwings.)

But one can't forget also other birds. Yearlist tick Peregrine Falcon with caught Feral Pigeon. Fieldfares made my highest count today(800+). And in the flock of c700 Fieldfares and c100 Waxwings I have also found one Redwing (another yearlist tick). It was second time this winter that I spotted 4 different Turdus sp. thrushes in few minutes(Blackbird, Mistle Thrush, Fieldfare, Redwing).

Here are some photos from today:

Robin (Erithacus rubecula) always counts

hybrid Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix) x Carrion Crow (Corvus corone)

Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)

Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus)

Fieldfares (Turdus pilaris)

lonely Waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) in Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) flock

my first Redwing (Turdus iliacus) of the year

Fieldfare in the snow

Waxwings - flock of "just" 1700 birds

Day started at Ružinov cemetery. We were searching for wintering Long-eared Owls, but we were unsuccessful. Coal Tit, Marsh Tit and couple of Treecreepers took up our mood. We were reported that there is a large flock of Waxwings on our way to city center. We estimated 600-800 birds in the flock. I made this video:

I took few frames and tried to count the birds in it.

Result is that our estimated number of individuals in the flock was absolutely wrong. According to the definition of the video I counted 1690 birds and overall revised count is somewhere around 1600-1800 birds.

Walk in the fields

Day started with great observation of flock of 150+ Waxwings. Some of them were roosting on the TV aerial on the opposite roof.

Waxwings (Bombycilla garrulus)

I decided to make a walk across the fields between Rožňava and Jovice. I hoped to spot some uncommon Rough-legged Buzzard. There were only the Common ones and some other birds. Let's check it.

fields between Rožňava and Jovice

Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)

Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus) from behind

Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris)

Magpie (Pica pica)

snowy blanket all over

Bulrush (Typha sp.)

I thought that nothing could beat today's Waxwings but I was wrong. To be honest it was an "owlsome" mistake...

somebody is roosting on the chimney...

Tawny Owl (Strix aluco)

Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) from another angle